Aéroports de Montréal Gains Certifications for Environmental Performance
Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) has been recognized for its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases in collaboration with its various partners at Montréal–Trudeau airport by the internationally recognized and independent Airport Carbon Accreditation program, which has certified the airport Level 3 (Optimization). In addition, Montréal–Trudeau’s “Jardin des voyageurs ailés (Garden for Winged Travelers)” received three certificates in 2016: Biodiversity Garden and Monarch Oasis from Montréal Space for Life, as well as Monarch Waystation from the University of Kansas Monarch Watch program.
“I am extremely proud of these marks of recognition, since they result from an environmental management plan that we have been implementing for several years,” said James Cherry, president and chief executive officer of ADM. “It’s remarkable. Montréal–Trudeau, the first Canadian airport to obtain GHG emissions-reduction accreditation, is now the fourth in North America to earn certification at the Optimization level.”
Many initiatives at Montréal–Trudeau met the independent organization’s criteria for Optimization level certification, which measures the commitment of third parties to reducing GHG emissions. These include the use of more energy efficient equipment by airlines, such as preconditioned-air (PCA) and ground power units (GPU); the “greening” of half the taxi fleet; the addition of charging stations for electric vehicles; the introduction of the Téo electric-taxi service; and the setting up of CellParc, a waiting area for motorists with cellphones coming to the airport to pick up passengers. Environmental awareness campaigns with airport employees, and the Écono-Écolo-Pratique program designed to increase the use of public transit, are other initiatives that were taken into account.
Bees and butterflies
By helping to establish a melliferous garden near hives for thousands of bees installed on the airport site, Montréal–Trudeau has achieved two goals. In addition to facilitating the vital work of pollinating insects and being a model of diversity for its native plants, the garden has become a haven for the protection and reproduction of monarchs. To underscore this contribution, the Monarch Watch program at the University of Kansas and Montréal Space for Life, which groups the Biodôme, the Botanical Garden, the Insectarium and the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, granted their certifications based on strict natural farming and ecological conservation criteria.
